Horror writer Stephen King and mystery writer Tabitha King married in 1971 and settled in Bangor, Maine.
Contributor Quotation
"Mr. King harnesses a formidable facility for originating unforgettable situations and characters. The 30 horror novels he has discharged over the 22 years since the publication of "Carrie" span a surprising variety of incident, subject and tone. His situations and characters, moreover, intersect an anxious, alienated culture with offhand authority. Mr. King is the latest (if least literary) manifestation of a Gnostic strain that has surged through American literature from Nathaniel Hawthorne an more...
"Mr. King harnesses a formidable facility for originating unforgettable situations and characters. The 30 horror novels he has discharged over the 22 years since the publication of "Carrie" span a surprising variety of incident, subject and tone. His situations and characters, moreover, intersect an anxious, alienated culture with offhand authority. Mr. King is the latest (if least literary) manifestation of a Gnostic strain that has surged through American literature from Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe to recent writers as various as James Merrill, Norman Mailer, William Burroughs and Thomas Pynchon. Mr. King's peculiar knack as a novelist is to strip away much of the complexity and nearly all of the art from a terrifying vision of an unknowable universe ruled by a limited, perhaps evil God and insinuate that Gnosticism into the rituals and commodities of everyday America. The household derangements and the matter-of-fact malevolence inside Mr. King's fiction cut across the fears behind opinion polls, televisions talk shows or any casual New York conversation: random carnage, obscure wasting illnesses, sinister technologies and the accelerating sense of a world gone wrong."less...
"The honest intent to do as well as possible--that has to stand at the base of any writing career. The object in view is to not let the money sway you from that, or the critics, or the wrath of God. Honest intent has nothing to do with art, one way or the other; art is its own master, and talent is merely its whore. Honest intent only applies to the more humble side of writing: the craft. You sit down in front of the typewriter and do the best job you can. You play fair. You keep your hands clea more...
"The honest intent to do as well as possible--that has to stand at the base of any writing career. The object in view is to not let the money sway you from that, or the critics, or the wrath of God. Honest intent has nothing to do with art, one way or the other; art is its own master, and talent is merely its whore. Honest intent only applies to the more humble side of writing: the craft. You sit down in front of the typewriter and do the best job you can. You play fair. You keep your hands clean. And then, if the money comes: "Not guilty."less...
"Lovecraft is the perfect fiction for people who are living in a state of sort of total sexual doubt, because the stories almost seem to me sort of Jungian in their imagery. They're all about gigantic disembodied vaginas and things that have teeth."
Biography
Born in 1947, Stephen King has become a household name all over the world. His mother raised him and his brother after their father deserted the family in 1950. In high school, King began to write short stories, his first published work appearing in 1968. He attended the University of Maine, graduating with a B.S. in 1970. Up until his first novel appeared, King had worked in an industrial laundry, as a janitor, as well as an English teacher. CARRIE, his debut, was met by a largely indifferent p more...
Born in 1947, Stephen King has become a household name all over the world. His mother raised him and his brother after their father deserted the family in 1950. In high school, King began to write short stories, his first published work appearing in 1968. He attended the University of Maine, graduating with a B.S. in 1970. Up until his first novel appeared, King had worked in an industrial laundry, as a janitor, as well as an English teacher. CARRIE, his debut, was met by a largely indifferent public in 1974. It wasn't until two years later, after King's second novel SALEM'S LOT and the filmed version of CARRIE, that King became a major player in the horror field. THE SHINING, his 1977 haunted hotel novel, began a litany of bestsellers, including THE STAND, THE DEAD ZONE, PET SEMETARY, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, and many others. King's work is regarded as instrumental in bringing about a resurgence of interest in horror fiction in the 1970s and '80s. An extremely high percentage of King's voluminous literary output has been filmed, with varying degrees of success, but all serving to carry the name of Stephen King far and wide. He has written nonfiction, given lectures, acted in films, and continues to produce huge novels nearly every year, all of which become instant bestsellers. As a bizarre sidenote, during the summer of 1999 while walking along a back road in Maine, King was struck and seriously injured by a minivan whose driver apparently lost control of the vehicle while being distracted by his dog--thus creating exactly the kind of news item that might have inspired several of King's own novels. In 2003, King was honored with a National Book Foundation medal for Distinguish Contribution to American Letters.less...
Birth Information
09/21/1947 Portland, Maine, New England, Northeastern States, United States,
Unlike most of King's novels, this can't be nailed down as "horror," since it contains a few sci-fi elements. There are a few disturbing descriptions, but it is gore-free, for the most part. The characters are quite different from King's normal novels, too: the main character is in his seventies, which is notable because authors normally keep main characters at the age of the book's intended audience. The book itself outlines a very unique standpoint on death, and King fans will be amused to note the many allusions to his other works (Pet Sematary, for example).
If you've enjoyed most of King's other books, then this one is definitely worth your while as long as you can get through the beginning, which is slightly tedious. But, after that, the pace picks up dramatically, and the book is a very enjoyable experience (and it's one of my favourites from King). As for people new to King, I'd suggest reading his other novels first, but only because of the allusions to them in this book. This book can stand on its own, but it would probably be more enjoyable if the reader can pick out the mentions to King's other works.
Donna: hey stephen thanks for the years of excellent reading and lots of chills too
Karoline: Stephen King is a God.
Stella: l love all the books l read so far. and l read a lot of them.
thanks Mr King.
Jenni: i loved the Stand.....the best novel ever..
Sonya: I'm wandering what a brain can grow such an incredible stories! Thanks for sharing them!
Brice: would like to meet him a very big fan
Bridget: Thank you for all of the joy (and terror) that your books have given me.
Forever,
Constant Reader
Jeanette: i hate it when you use the name Richard Bachman!
Its Stephen King the one and only
Rebecca: I remember reading your work in elementary school; when everyone else was reading Ramona Quimby I was devouring Carrie... Thanks so much for so many years of great reads! Duma Key is probably my new favorite, but I'm looking forward to more!
Patricia: I just want to say a massive thank you for all you have written. I am a huge fan of your work and read near enough every book published. You never cease to amaze me, a new book will come out and wallop, you find new twists and turns. My absolute fav, which is hard to choose, was the Dark Tower series. By the time I had finished them, I kinda went into mourning cos it was the end, does that make sense? Anyway Stephen, keep it going, and we'll keep reading them. Best of luck to you and yours, Patricia X
Unlike most of King's novels, this can't be nailed down as "horror," since it contains a few sci-fi elements. There are a few disturbing descriptions, but it is gore-free, for the most part. The characters are quite different from King's normal novels, too: the main character is in his seventies, which is notable because authors normally keep main characters at the age of the book's intended audience. The book itself outlines a very unique standpoint on death, and King fans will be amused to note the many allusions to his other works (Pet Sematary, for example).
If you've enjoyed most of King's other books, then this one is definitely worth your while as long as you can get through the beginning, which is slightly tedious. But, after that, the pace picks up dramatically, and the book is a very enjoyable experience (and it's one of my favourites from King). As for people new to King, I'd suggest reading his other novels first, but only because of the allusions to them in this book. This book can stand on its own, but it would probably be more enjoyable if the reader can pick out the mentions to King's other works.
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